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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29560002">Knowing</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomewhereFictional/pseuds/SomewhereFictional'>SomewhereFictional</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>He Calls It Research [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Benedict Cumberbatch- Fandom, British Actor RPF</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Benedict Cumberbatch - Freeform, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Slow Burn</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-19</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 05:02:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>945</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29560002</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SomewhereFictional/pseuds/SomewhereFictional</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Benedict knows how he feels about Ellen. Ellen knows how she feels about Benedict.</p>
<p>(Original posted as part of my oneshot collection under 'Random Multi Fandom')</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Benedict Cumberbatch/Original Female Character(s)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>He Calls It Research [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2135925</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Benedict</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Summary for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
            <p>Set around the same time as Signs.</p>
          </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Forensics team are already at the crime scene by the time Benedict gets there. A tent's been constructed over the victim, and a perimeter's been established with blue and white police tape to keep the steadily-growing crowd of onlookers back.</p><p>It takes him a few seconds to steel himself, even though he knows that he won't actually be seeing any dead bodies. At least not today. The pathologist is already here- the van parked with all the others- so nobody will be allowed inside the tent apart from Forensics.</p><p>But it still isn't easy, passing under the first line of fluttering police tape. Something about being at a person's final resting place, and that their end was probably unnatural and more than a little violent, is hard to process.</p><p>He's long since learned never to eat anything when Ellen's team is the one on call and there's the possibility of seeing something that will make him regret breakfast, but his empty stomach still churns.</p><p>"Cumberbatch."</p><p>Ellen's standing a couple of feet behind the interior perimeter tape, wrapped in a hi-vis yellow Community Support jacket on top of her own, gloved hands tucked firmly beneath her armpits.</p><p>Her exhales hit the bitter morning air in clouds, her nose pink.</p><p>"Don't throw up," she tells him, as she signs him in with the crime scene manager. "And you can't bring that in here." She indicates the takeaway coffee cup he's clutching in his hands. "Contamination."</p><p>"I know." He holds it out to her. "It's for you. I thought you could use the caffeine."</p><p>She blinks, thrown by his answer. "For me?"</p><p>He nods.</p><p>Ellen flushes- or maybe it's just the cold. "Oh."</p><p>Benedict suppresses a smile. She hardly ever gets caught off guard, and he's pleased that he's managed it with something as simple as coffee. "Here. Before it gets cold."</p><p>She takes the cup, pries off the lid to release a brief puff of steam. Inhales deeply. "This isn't from a coffee shop, is it?" She asks, after taking a hesitant sip.</p><p>"No." He isn't surprised at her observation, but it still impresses him how quickly her mind can make connections. Especially at two in the morning. "Nowhere's open. It isn't too strong?"</p><p>Trying to decide that had been what had delayed him in getting here, but judging from the fact that she's finished it already, he had nothing to worry about.</p><p>When she's finished, she returns the cup, face now flushed with heat. "Thanks."</p><p>It's Benedict's turn to blush. What was he thinking, bringing her coffee to a crime scene?</p><p>He might as well have brought flowers instead.</p><p>"Boss!"</p><p>Ellen turns away when summoned by Monroe.</p><p>Benedict watches them confer, the way Ellen's nose scrunches as she listens and doesn't like what she hears, how her mouth purses.</p><p>He doesn't know when things changed, when he started noticing these things and could pick Ellen out in a busy room in seconds. But they have, and he can, and Ellen's going to realise something's going on if he continues being blatantly obvious by making her coffee and being so acutely aware of where she is and that he can make her blush.</p><p>"Pathologist's got something." She's back, and Monroe's gone again. "You coming?"</p><p>"Yes."</p><p>It doesn't matter, he realises, as he follows her over to the tent and takes one of the paper onesies to put on over his clothes. Ellen doesn't need the coffee or anything else as evidence.</p><p>He's here at this scene and he's cold, and still wants to throw up.</p><p>It's easy to see why he doesn't leave.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Ellen</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Ellen knows a lot of things, which comes in quite useful as a detective.</p><p>She knows people, and what makes them tick. She knows when she's in a situation that's about to turn bad.</p><p>She can read evidence at a crime scene, and the atmosphere in an interview room. Can solve murders and get people to tell her things they swore they'd never tell a soul for the rest of their life.</p><p>She knows language and art; knows how to play chess, and poker, and how to tap out a message in Morse Code.</p><p>And she knows that Benedict Cumberbatch is in love with her.</p><p>She's being doing this job for long enough (seven years, four months and eighteen days) to know when a theory has enough supporting evidence to no longer be conjecture, and she has plenty of evidence.</p><p>Enough to suggest that this isn't going away any time soon. Or anywhere, for that matter. That it isn't admiration or mistaking professional courtesy as something else.</p><p>So, okay, maybe she did try to ignore it for a while. Told herself that he was being a friend.</p><p>Bringing coffee to crime scenes didn't mean anything. It was thoughtful, but without subtext. And talking about things they wouldn't ordinarily have talked about, during the situations which were really bad and more than a little terrifying? Well, that was just them letting off nervous energy and trying to keep their minds distracted from imminent death.</p><p>They still argued. A lot. Over his belief that he's an honorary copper who can question suspects and witnesses without comprising her chances of getting a conviction because of his involvement, or his insane theories or his insistence on accompanying her to post-mortems ("I'm here to do research," he says) and to crime scenes in the wee hours of the morning.</p><p>He annoys her and makes her laugh. Irritates her and makes her smile.</p><p>She knows why.</p><p>She isn't wrong.</p><p>At some point, without her realising, things changed, and she knows everything will not return to normal when he leaves.</p>
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